Tag: Hunter Thedford

Browns make slew of roster moves the day after Pro Football Hall of Fame Game

The roster saw a lot of churning the day after the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game

It did not take the Cleveland Browns long to make roster moves coming off of their 21-16 win over the New York Jets in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. We knew two players left that game injured, and they have both now been waived. We also now see the return of tight end Miller Forristall as a result.

Here are all of the various roster moves the Browns made on Friday.

Browns sign journeyman OT Hunter Thedford to 90-man roster

The #Browns signed offensive tackle Hunter Thedford on Monday after releasing veteran lineman Joe Haeg

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After signing wide receiver Ra’Shaun Henry on Monday, the Cleveland Browns continued adding depth to the bottom of their roster by inking journeyman offensive tackle Hunter Thedford to their 90-man offseason roster.

The move came after the team released veteran lineman Joe Haeg, which created about $2 million in cap space.

Thedford entered the league as an undrafted rookie in 2021 and has spent time with the Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos, and New England Patriots, though he has not yet seen action in a game at the NFL level.

He played collegiately at the University of Utah, where he was a tight end in the Utes’ offense. His transition to the NFL came with a position change to the offensive tackle spot, where he is seen as a developmental prospect with plenty of potential to excel if he can continue progressing as a blocker.

Watch for Thedford to soak up as much knowledge as he can over the course of the Browns’ mandatory minicamp, and for him to do his best to justify a spot on Cleveland’s practice squad ahead of the 2023 season.

Patriots add more offensive tackle depth with practice squad signing

Patriots make offensive line the focal point in Wednesday’s practice squad signing.

The New England Patriots are making the offensive tackle position their focal point by signing Hunter Thedford to the practice squad on Wednesday.

It’s an interesting signing for the Patriots considering Thedford played tight end for the Pittsburgh Maulers last season in the USFL, where he hauled in 13 receptions for 124 yards and one touchdown.

He reportedly spent the last six months putting on 30 extra pounds to make the move from tight end to offensive lineman. The defensive front has been a strength for the Patriots. So Thedford won’t have to wait long to see how his larger frame holds up against NFL-level competition.

The Patriots desperately needed depth at offensive tackle with Marcus Cannon currently on injured reserve. Trent Brown and Isaiah Wynn remain the top-two options at the positions with Yodny Cajuste serving as the primary backup.

New England will need to continue to cling to the hope of health because another injury could be disastrous for an offensive line unit that has clearly struggled this season.

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Lions activate Nick Williams from reserve/COVID-19 list

Williams was impressive in first-team reps prior to going on the COVID-19 list

The defensive line room in Detroit just got a little more crowded. Veteran tackle Nick Williams has been activated by the team from the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Williams has been on the list since testing positive for COVID-19 almost two weeks ago. He had been regularly receiving first-team reps in training camp prior to the trip to the reserve list. With rookie Levi Onwuzurike, who primarily plays the same position, back in practice as well, it should provide a deeper glimpse at the coach’s take on the depth chart.

To make room for Williams rejoining the active roster, the Lions waived tight end Hunter Thedford. The addition of Rashod Berry as a potential blocking TE candidate and special teamer spelled the end of the Lions line for Thedford. Berry was an EDGE for the Patriots but he played both OLB and TE at Ohio State in college and was listed on the NFL’s official transaction wire as a tight end.

Hunter Bryant’s release opens door for Alizé Mack

Hunter Bryant’s release opens door for Alizé Mack at tight end for the Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions recently waived tight end Hunter Bryant with a non-football injury designation.

Bryant joined the Lions as an undrafted free agent immediately following the 2020 NFL Draft. From the start, he was projected to make the final roster as the team’s third or fourth tight end behind T.J. Hockenson, Jesse James, and Isaac Nauta.

Unfortunately for the undrafted rookie, a lingering hamstring injury sidelined him for most of training camp and kept him on injured reserve until Week 13.

His rookie campaign was a quiet one, but he made sure to make his one and only reception count. In the Week 15 loss to the Tennessee Titans, Bryant made a spectacular catch on a 44-yard throw by Matthew Stafford. In 2020, he was targeted three times on his 25 offensive snaps.

So how does his release impact the Detroit Lions’ roster?

Hockenson will still be the top option at tight end and newly-signed Josh Hill will be used primarily as a blocker. Behind them are two young players: Alizé Mack and Hunter Thedford.

Mack may be the most likely to win the backup tight end job given both his skill set and familiarity with head coach Dan Campbell.

While Campbell was the tight ends coach for the New Orleans Saints, they selected Mack out of Notre Dame in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Though he only stuck around on the roster until the end of September, it’s clear that Campbell saw something in him and wanted to kick the tires on the young tight end.

Mack had bounced around from practice squad to practice squad in 2019 and was unsigned in 2020. Despite never appearing in a regular season game, he does have a strong athletic profile and could be a good choice for a young player to develop on the roster over the next season.

In many ways, Mack is a very similar player to Bryant. He plays more like a big-bodied wide receiver than a prototypical tight end in the NFL and can use his size to his advantage to beat defenders on deep routes. He was used often as a vertical threat at Notre Dame and could easily be used in that same role in Detroit.

Thedford could also be an option should the Lions opt not to roll with Mack as a backup. Thedford is a 6-foot-8 blocking tight end who would be used primarily as a blocker in the run game. He played three years at SMU before transferring to Utah and later went undrafted in 2020. He’s a raw prospect that fits Dan Campbell’s mold for a blocking tight end and could stick around if the coach sees something special in him.

Lions worked out 3 players including 2 tight ends on Saturday

Former Jaguars TE Ben Koyack highlights 3 players who auditioned on Saturday

The Detroit Lions continued to search for potential roster additions on Saturday. The team held workout auditions for three players, including two tight ends.

Former Notre Dame standout Ben Koyack is the most notable name. A seventh-round pick by the Jaguars in 2016, Koyack has 25 receptions in 44 career NFL games, all with Jacksonville.

The other two players who tried out are TE Hunter Thedford and DT Josh Avery. Thedford is an undrafted rookie from Utah who also played collegiately at SMU. Avery is also an undrafted rookie who was previously with the Seattle Seahawks. He played in college for Southeast Missouri State.